Criminal Legal Reform

The Constitution protects every person’s right to due process of law and humane treatment during incarceration regardless of race, socioeconomic status, age, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

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Criminal Legal Reform is part of ACLU of Colorado's Campaign for Smart Justice.

The Constitution protects every person’s right to due process of law and humane treatment during incarceration regardless of race, socioeconomic status, age, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

The ACLU has long been at the forefront of challenging police abuses and failures of the criminal justice system to protect due process rights. We work to ensure that constitutional rights apply to all, regardless of race, ethnicity or economics.

We are committed to comprehensive reform of our criminal legal system, including preventing unnecessary involvement of juveniles in the system, ending racial profiling, re-thinking overly harsh mandatory minimum drug sentencing laws, ensuring adequate representation for people accused of crimes, diverting substance abusers from prisons to treatment, respecting the human and constitutional rights of people in our correctional facilities, advocating for dignified community re-entry, and ending the broken death penalty system.

The Latest

Press Release
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Federal Appeals Court Rejects ICE’s Policy of Mandatory Detention Without Bond, Orders Bond Hearing for Longtime U.S. Resident

The appeal, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and two affiliates, follows hundreds of successful challenges to the Trump administration’s punitive policy
Issue Areas: Immigrant Justice, Criminal Legal Reform
Court Cases: Santillan Quiroz v. Mullin, et al.
Press Release
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Federal Judge Rules ICE Violated Court Order, Requires More Oversight and Training

Judge concludes that ICE agents continued conducting unlawful warrantless arrests in Colorado despite a November 2025 preliminary injunction forbidding this conduct.
Issue Areas: Immigrant Justice, Government Transparency, Criminal Legal Reform
Court Cases: Ramirez Ovando, et al. v. Mullin, et al.
News & Commentary
Protestor holding sign with text saying No Kings in America

Coloradans Constitutional Rights Remain at Risk of Violations by Federal Officials After No Kings Act Fails in Committee

No one is above the law, not even the federal government, and this bill would have closed the accountability gap that allows federal officials and law enforcement to violate Coloradans’ constitutional rights with no consequences.
News & Commentary
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Advocates Urge Colorado Towns and Cities to Conform Local Jail Sentences to Comply with State Law

ACLU of Colorado and Colorado Freedom Fund (CFF) sent a letter to municipal councils following a recent Colorado Supreme Court decision that determined local sentences harsher than those outlined in state law for the same conduct are illegal and unenforceable.

Cases, Campaigns & Legislation

Court Case
Jun 18, 2026

People v. Rodriguez-Nunez (Amicus)

The ACLU of Colorado joined ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project, Civil Rights Corps, Professors Kellen R. Funk and Sandra G. Mayson, and the Korey Wise Innocence Project in support of a petition for rehearing regarding the state constitutional right to bail.
Court Case
Jul 9, 2026

People v. Vernagallo (Amicus)

The ACLU of Colorado filed an amicus brief in support of a petition for certiorari asking the Colorado Supreme Court to decide whether the state hospital’s nine-month delay in sending Mr. Vernagallo to restoration services is attributable to the government for the purpose of his constitutional right to a speedy trial.
Court Case
Jul 13, 2026

The People of the Town of Silverthorne v. Tettamanti

The ACLU of Colorado is appealing the Silverthorne Municipal Court order that wrongfully sentenced Mr. Tettamanti to three days in jail for contempt.
Court Case
May 26, 2026

Alvarado-Vasquez v. People & Rodriguez-Ortiz v. People (Amicus)

The ACLU of Colorado joined the Innocence Project and the Korey Wise Innocence Project to submit Amici Briefs in support of challenges to the admissibility of firearm toolmark analysis.